


Before the Lightning

by Lyoko_Native



Series: French Dragon: Marinette Dupain-Cheng [2]
Category: American Dragon: Jake Long, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - American Dragon, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Artistic License - Biology, F/M, Family, Friendship, Lovers To Enemies, Magic, No Miraculouses, Romance, Talking Animals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-04-14 12:51:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14136417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyoko_Native/pseuds/Lyoko_Native
Summary: Marinette had always known about the magical world, but when her dragon blood surfaced, she was forced into the role of her mother’s successor. While fighting one of Sabine’s oldest enemies, Marinette received an accidental and near fatal wound. Between her injury, the seemingly nonsensical Huntsclan attacks, growing tensions with the Hollow Brotherhood, and the ever mysterious Vampire Lord Thorn, Paris is becoming a more dangerous place.





	1. Around the Fire

The first thing she noticed was that she was warm. She was covered in heavy blankets that were tucked underneath her. It almost reminded her of when she was a little girl, when Sabine would come home and wrap around her while still in dragon form, her scales warm and comforting. The next thing she noticed was that, despite the fact that she was warm, the area around her was cold, and that she was sort of swaying. She might have been up off the ground somehow.

Marinette opened her eyes. Even this hurt, and she immediately closed them. Her chi was low, but she summoned some of it to make her dragon fire burn hotter so she’d heal faster. She let out a breath, which turned into heavy smoke and ozone. Marinette opened her eyes again.

She was in… a tent, maybe? It was large and looked like it might have been made from leather or hide. There were a few cots in this tent, but she was the only person in one. There was a light coming from her left, and she turned her head to look at it.

There was a desk, and on the desk was a lantern. Standing in front of the desk was a girl with long dark hair braided tightly. She was mixing some sort of potion in her hands. She wore black armor, light and fitted to her body. She tapped her black gloved fingers impatiently and then turned around.

Her hazel eyes seemed shocked to see her awake, but Marinette couldn’t see her face due to a mask. “You’re alive! Thank goodness.” She walked around the cot to sit to Marinette’s right. “Oh, we were so surprised when Chat Noir brought you to us.”

She tried to speak, but her voice was weak. The armored girl looked around and then grabbed a canteen. She held it to her lips and had her drink. “What’s going on?” Marinette asked, still strained.

“You were kidnapped by a wizard, or do you not remember? Chat Noir said that he’d cast a spell on you, and you were hurt, but I don’t actually know what happened.” The girl said. Marinette flinched. She remembered having her shadow stitched to Nathaniel’s, and watching the blade of Chat’s spear strike Nathaniel but hurting her instead. Gods, her blood was so hot against her fingers… “But, don’t you worry about that! How are you feeling?”

“Like death warmed over.” Marinette wondered briefly how Marty was doing. She looked at the girl. “Who are you?”

She grimaced. “Don’t worry about that either.” She said. “Just know that you’re safe with us. No wizard would strike at you here.” The girl stood and dug around in some of the suitcases nearby. She offered Marinette a plain, dark grey dress, sort of lumpy and shapeless. “Put this on. Your clothes have blood on them.”

Marinette looked at the gown. She forced herself to sit up, exposing her bare arms to the cold. She pulled the blankets up to her chin. “C-can I have some privacy?” She asked.

The girl nodded. She put the dress on Marinette’s legs. She grabbed a pelt from one of the cots, but walked out before Marinette could identify it.

Marinette stood up and looked at herself. She had bandages wrapped around her stomach, and when she ran her fingers across it, she could feel stitches. She pulled the dress over her head and flipped her hair out. There was a long maybe-stick on the ground, and she grabbed it to use as a walking stick.

She was unable to find her shoes, so Marinette walked out of the tent barefoot. Outside was a large camp, and while she was too disoriented to count how many tents there were, she knew there were many and that they were fairly close together. In the center of the camp was a bonfire, wood stacked as tall as she was and the flames climbing even higher. Two people were standing next to it. Marinette steeled her nerves and walked forward—it was about six or seven meters away.

“…my fault!” A voice said. It was Chat Noir. He sounded distraught. He was the smaller of the two figures, and she could see him put his hand on his head. As she got closer, she could perceive that his back was towards her, and he wasn’t wearing his mask.

The taller figure was shrouded in shadow, his back to the fire. She couldn’t see his face, or his clothing. “You still should have known better.” He scolded.

“I know I screwed up, okay!” Chat said defensively. “But I didn’t know he’d cast a spell on her! She looked fine!”

“You shouldn’t have gone after her in the first place!” The man shouted. Chat Noir flinched, his spine stiffening. The man rubbed his face. “And don’t even get me started on how you stole from me! When did you become so wild?”

“I’m sorry—”

“You should be. I brought you here exclusively because keeping you at the Academy was becoming hazardous to your health,” the man said, “not so you could hop into a secondary dimension and fight a wizard!” Chat didn’t say anything. “Did you get the book?”

“What book?” Chat asked.

“The grimoire! Did you take it?”

“No, of course not. The French Dragon bound it in amber. I suppose she has it now.”

The man grumbled. “Of course. I shouldn’t have expected you to even get that right.” He rubbed his eyes. Marinette stumbled. The man looked up at the sound, and he immediately grabbed Chat Noir’s pelt and pulled it up over his head. Chat reacted to this, grabbing the sides of the pelt as if to pull it back down, but the man motioned to Marinette, and he turned.

Chat’s eyes lit up. “Marinette! Thank goodness!” He ran forward and hugged her.

She was both happy and upset to see him. She cared for him greatly, but he had slashed her open. She was close enough now to see who he was talking to.

When he came into focus, her blood ran cold. Standing there in front of the fire was Huntmaster Hawkmoth. She recognized him from the fight on le Pont des Arts and the Autumnal Tomb. He wasn’t wearing his dragonbone armor, but she recognized his dragon skull helmet, his coat and his voice. Marinette averted her eyes, as if she was afraid he recognized her.

“Oh, but you shouldn’t be up walking around!” Chat Noir said, as if it didn’t matter that the leader of a killer cult stood behind him. “Let me take you back to the tent.”

“Chat, where are we?” Marinette asked weakly, her voice shaking for the strain and her terror. She looked up. It was nighttime now, thousands of stars twinkling brightly. They were surrounded by woods, dark and deserted. If she could transform, and she wasn’t sure she could with such a devastating injury, they would see her right away.

“Don’t worry about that. I just…” He sighed heavily. There was a pause as he considered his next statement carefully. “I took you to people who could help you.” He said carefully, his voice forceful, as if he wouldn’t entertain a dissenting opinion.

But Marinette wouldn’t have it. “Where are we?” She demanded.

Hawkmoth spoke now. “Boi d’Hermet, in Mayenne.”

Her jaw dropped. “What?!” She exclaimed. She pounded on her head. “What the hey-yo?! That’s, like, three hundred kilometers from Paris!”

“It’s more like two hundred and ninety,” Hawkmoth clarified.

She couldn’t see Chat’s face for the shadow, but she could tell he was frowning. “Do you really think that’s appropriate right now?” He scolded.

Marinette shook her head. “How did we get here? What happened to the castle?”

Chat Noir revealed his chalk. “I brought us here. When we met, you expressed distaste for hospitals, and it isn’t really like I would blend in there.” He leaned back on his heels. “As for the castle, I imagine that it disappeared along with the rest of the minor dimension it resided in when the Autumn King’s grimoire was sealed in amber.” He shook one of his hands. “Oh, the Autumn King is who possessed Nathaniel.”

She looked down for a second before looking back up. “I had figured,” She said quietly.

Her sharpness didn’t register with him. Chat put his hands on her shoulders. “Please. You’re going to hurt yourself. Let me take you back to the tent.”

But Marinette didn’t want to spend a moment longer there than necessary. “A-actually, I have to use the restroom?”

Hawkmoth guffawed. “This is a hunting camp, not a hotel. There’s a latrine at the edge of the woods there.” He motioned flippantly to the woods.

“Look at her, she can barely walk!” Chat Noir argued.

Marinette held up one of her hands. “A latrine is fine.” She said. She limped away from them. She ducked behind a tent, covered her ears, and then whispered, “Ears of the Dragon.”

Her human ears were replaced with her dragon ears. There was no one around, so she didn’t have to hide them. She could hear Hawkmoth speaking now. “What did you tell her of us?”

“Nothing! I wasn’t even working with you.” Chat Noir said. “There was nothing to say.”

“What were you doing?” Hawkmoth asked.

“I was…” Chat sighed. “Ugh. It doesn’t matter now.” There was a moment of silence. “What are you going to do with me?”

They spoke more, but someone else caught her attention. “Psst. Marinette!” A harsh whisper came from the brush. Marinette looked up to see Sabine hiding in the woods. She motioned for her to come closer. Marinette banished her ears and limped towards her mother. Sabine barely waited for her to reach the edge before she ran forward and hugged her tight. “Oh, praise the gods!” She said. She only held her tighter. “I was so afraid that you’d died!”

Marinette smiled. She hugged her mother gently, feeling safe in her arms. “I’m… well, I’m not fine, but I’m alive, and I’ll make it.” She said. She got closer. “Mama, these people are Huntsmen!” She whispered.

“This is a Huntsclan camp?!” Sabine said. She got out her phone and took photos. “It’s huge!”

“Hawkmoth is here, and it looks like Chat knows who he is!” Marinette said. She held her stomach. “I don’t think they know who I am. You don’t think they saw my stomachs, do you?”

“Nah, probably not…” She guessed with a shrug. There was quiet as she considered their next move. Sabine quickly motioned for her to go into the woods. “Come here. I’ll take you home.”

She looked over her shoulder. “They’ll see you. Or, at least, Chat Noir will wonder where I’ve gone.”

Sabine growled angrily. “Hè, kào běi, I don’t care about him!” She muttered. It wasn’t often that Sabine spoke Chinese, especially around Marinette, but she knew that it usually only came out when she was exceptionally irritated. “After what he did, he should wonder where he’ll hide from me instead…”

“It was an accident. He didn’t know that would happen!”

“Don’t you defend him! Even if he didn’t know that you’d be hurt, he was still willing to kill an unarmed hostage!” Marinette flinched, having no real way to counter this. “Let’s go now, before they come looking for you.”

“Mama, if they see you, they’ll kill you! And your flight pattern is still messed up from the battle at les Pont des Arts.” Marinette argued. “I don’t think they’ll hurt me just yet. Please, trust me to get home on my own.”

“I trust you, Marinette. It’s these Huntsmen that I don’t trust!” She covered her face. “I won’t leave you here. I’m staying, whether you like it or not.”

“Mama—”

“Don’t you ‘mama’ me, young dragon!” Sabine scolded, almost too loudly. Marinette motioned for her to keep her voice down as Sabine furrowed her brows and counted on her fingers. “Every time I leave you alone, you get hurt, or you get kidnapped, or you ignore a survival-based activity, such as sleep!” She shook her head. “No. I’m staying.”

Marinette sighed. “Ugh, fair enough.”

Sabine kissed her cheek, and then rubbed it in with her finger. “I love you.” Her smile vanished. “Please. Get home safe.” She sighed heavily.

Marinette nodded, and Sabine disappeared into the shadow. She was alone with her thoughts for a moment. So, Chat Noir has lied. They had asked if he was working with the Huntsclan, and while he claimed he wasn’t, he might have mentioned that he knew them. So, it was not a real lie so much as it was a lie of omission. Still, if he wasn’t human… working with the Huntsclan was paramount treason. Some magical creatures would do it, yes, but Chat Noir hadn’t seemed the type.

Meanwhile, Chat Noir was having his own conversation. With Marinette out of sight, he took his pelt off so Hawkmoth could see his face. He wasn’t even wearing his mask. There was a moment of tense, awkward silence. “I know I shouldn’t have come here. I’m sorry.”

“What did you tell her of us?” Hawkmoth asked.

“Nothing! I wasn’t even working with you.” Adrien said. “There was nothing to say.”

“What were you doing?”

“I was…” Adrien sighed. “Ugh. It doesn’t matter now.” There was another moment of silence. “What are you going to do with me?”

Hawkmoth considered this. “Well, first and foremost, this stops. This whole… Chat Noir thing? It stops.” He decided. Adrien sighed, expecting this outcome. Probably smart, since the French Dragon would be looking for him now. “Secondly, give me back your chalk. You still haven’t earned it back.” Adrien reluctantly handed over his magic chalk, having expected this also. “Thirdly, you have to break up with this… Maria girl.”

This took him by surprise, so much so that he couldn’t even process that he’d gotten her name wrong. “Wait, what?” He said. “No! That’s not fair!”

“I don’t really care what you think on the matter.” Hawkmoth snapped. “You lied to me, and you went behind my back, and now, you have to earn my trust again.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Besides, you’re too young to be dating anyway.”

Adrien was indignant. His cheeks were red, and his back was so stiff that he couldn’t stand still. “Father–”

“Don’t argue with me!” He shouted. Adrien visibly flinched. Hawkmoth rubbed his eyes once again. “What else?”

“There’s more?” He said.

“How many people have you murdered since you came to Paris?” He asked sharply. Adrien considered this and then huffed. Hawkmoth watched as he pulled his pelt up and folded his arms. It was probably so he wouldn’t see his frustrated expression or shaking hands. “Take Mariela home–”

“Marinette!” He corrected angrily.

“Do not yell at me!” He snapped.

There was a tense moment. Hawkmoth glared at Chat Noir for a long time. Chat Noir glared back, but he gave in first. He let his head droop, and after a moment, he asked, “Are you going to send me back to the Academy?”

Hawkmoth shrugged, a more casual reaction than his stern body language suggested. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.” He motioned with his chin to the darkness. “Go, then. Do as I said. Take her home. Break it off. Go back to the mansion.” He paused. “It’s for the best, Adrien.”

Chat Noir frowned deeply. He let the pelt fall so he could put his mask on, and then pulled it back up. He watched the fire burn in front of him, and then sighed. He held out his hand. “I need my chalk to get her home before morning.”

He considered this. He placed the chalk in his hand. “Give it to Nathalie as soon as you return.”

He nodded. Chat Noir turned and walked away without saying another word. After fetching her blood stained clothing, he followed the path Marinette had followed, walking away from the fire and into the darkness. He found Marinette staring into the woods, lost in thought. He watched her for a moment, wondering how it was that she was standing up. “Marinette.”

She didn’t turn around right away. It was slow, like she was in pain, and he frowned because of it. “Chat Noir.” She said quietly. She didn’t move for a minute, her eyes scanning him. Tears started running down her face. “Please take me home.”

“Oh, princess. Please don’t cry.” He said, walking over to her. He held her close, closing his eyes and taking in the smell of her hair. Marinette was hesitant at first, but then fell into him. She hugged him tightly, crying into his chest. She didn’t want to believe he was a traitor. She tightened her grip on his under armor, determined to protect him from the Huntsclan.

Chat Noir led Marinette away from the camp. He crouched to draw the glyph on a rock, the only surface solid enough to maintain it. He had to close his eyes in parts to remember the certain tunes that would bring them close to the bakery. They started glowing, and he sighed.

“Careful. Hold onto me. This surface isn’t smooth, so it might be a bumpy ride.” He advised. He gently picked her up, and she held onto his neck. Chat stepped into the light. The teleportation spell wasn’t quite stable, so when they reached Paris, he tripped and skinned his knee.

“Are you okay?” Marinette asked, putting her hands on his face. She ran the backs of her fingers against his cheek, or about where she thought it was.

He didn’t respond, and he looked towards the bakery. Chat Noir jumped down and carried her to the bakery, just as he had the night they’d met. It was almost… nostalgic, despite the fact it hadn’t happened all that long ago. When he put her down, he hugged her again, and he started shaking.

“Chat?” Marinette whispered.

“I… I think I have to go away for awhile.” He admitted. This caused Marinette to push him away and yank his pelt down so she could look him in the eyes. He couldn’t make eye contact, though. “I don’t know for how long. After… what happened, the French… there are forces that will want me dead.”

“It was an accident!” She frowned. “You should have listened when I told you not to attack Nathaniel, but–”

He shook his head. “Please, just listen.” He sighed. “There are things going on that you don’t know about. Things I can’t tell you.” He started trembling harder. “And you deserve better than that. Better than secrets, and half truths, and someone who disappears on you…”

He was shaking so badly he couldn’t stand up, but she was frozen, completely immobile. Marinette let her arms fall so she could clamp them at her sides. “Are you breaking up with me?” She asked.

There was a moment of horrible silence. That was the only word that fit: horrible. Chat forced himself to look up. “Yes.” He admitted.

“I don’t understand.” Marinette said. “You went from surprising me with gifts to wanting to never see me again within twenty-four hours?!” She shook her head. “What’s going on?!”

He couldn’t tell her that Hawkmoth was his father, and that he’d demanded that they separate. “It’s complicated. I have to go underground for a while.” He said. “And it isn’t fair of me to leave you in the dark.”

“I don’t want to break up. I want to help you.” Marinette said. She tried to hold his hand, but he pulled it away. He still couldn’t meet her eyes. “Chat, please. I can be more help than you think.” She said. She took a nervous breath. “I’m—”

He took a few steps back. “This… this is hard, and I’m sorry, but it is for the best, and I have to go.” Chat Noir turned around. “I’m sorry.” He started running.

Marinette tried to run after him. “Chat Noir! Wait!” But she moved wrong, and it aggravated the stitches under the bandages, and she doubled over. She looked up to see him jumping over the buildings. “Wait! Come back!” She watched him become but a speck on the horizon. Tears started rolling down her cheeks, and she let out a high pitched, draconic screech.

She started to sob. Tom heard her scream and came running out of the bakery. He grabbed her and pulled her into him, hugging her as she cried. Tom eventually picked her up and carried her back into the house, putting her on the sofa. He sent Tikki upstairs to fetch her pajamas.

Between sobs, she explained that Chat Noir had accidentally slashed her with his spear. “How do you do that accidentally.” Tom asked, deadpan.

Marinette couldn’t smile. “Today was the worst day of my life.” She said. Tikki returned, holding her pajamas carefully. Marinette changed out of the dress into the pants, and Tom started brewing potions on the stove. Tikki has mandrake salve ready, so she undid the bandages. “I woke up—”

“Late,” Tikki interjected.

“I got kidnapped, I had my shadow stitched to my possessed classmate’s,” Marinette continued. Tikki dipped her paw into the salve and started spreading it. It was cold, and Marinette shuddered. “My boyfriend slashes my stomach open, takes me to the Huntsclan, and then breaks up with me!” She flopped over dramatically, though that aggravated her stitches. “Ow! Ugh, I wish I were dead.”

Tom looked away from his witch’s brew. “Wait, Chat Noir took you to the Huntsclan?”

Tikki was flabbergasted. “Why would he do that?” She covered her mouth with her paw as she looked to Tom.

“I don’t know. I think he knows them.” Marinette said. “He wasn’t working with them, but they know each other, and whatever Hawkmoth said to him, he seemed freaked out enough to think he wasn’t going to be around for much longer.”

Tikki leaned against Marinette. She was light enough that it didn’t bother her too much. “He took you to see Gabriel? He didn’t recognize you, did he?”

Tom shook his head. “He would have killed her if he had!” He looked at Marinette. “We know that Chat used Huntstech. You’re saying that he lied to us?”

Marinette nodded. “At least by omission. He’s probably turned traitor, too.” She looked out the window. She couldn’t see the glyph, but she could see about where it was. “Despite everything, I still believe that he isn’t bad. He needs our help.”

Tikki took her hand. “It’s noble of you to want that.”

“Foolish, you mean.” She sighed. “He… he broke up with me. He barely offered an explanation. It doesn’t even feel real…” Marinette started crying again. “I already miss him so much!”

Tikki disposed of the old bandages and started wrapping her in new ones. “Pain makes us stronger, no matter how. It’s how we grow.” She explained. Her paws were steady and diligent. “You can either let it make you hard or soft. Sometimes the world needs sharpness. It needs strength. Someone who can make hard choices that have to be made.” She paused to smile at her. “Sometimes it needs tenderness. It needs kindness. Someone who can stitch wounds and start the healing process. Either way helps.”

Marinette looked like she was about to argue when Tom touched her shoulder. “Drink this. It will calm you down. I’ll have Sabine call you out of school tomorrow.” He stroked her hair lovingly. “You need lots of rest.” Marinette sighed. She drank the potion, and within a few minutes, she’d fallen fast asleep.

 

* * *

 

Chat Noir returned to the mansion through the window. He removed his pelt and his mask slowly, just letting them fall to the floor. He looked at his chalk, and his fingers grew tight around it. He didn’t bother to get out of his armor as he walked out of the room and down the stairs. Nathalie was at her desk in the office, probably taking care of expenses.

“Nathalie.” He said. She looked up with a tired expression. Adrien didn’t move for a minute. Then, he walked forward and reluctantly offered her the chalk. “I took these from Father. He asked that I give them to you until he returns.”

“Very well.” She said absently. She took the chalk and looked back at her computer. It was only for a moment before she looked back at him. “You look upset. Has something happened?”

Adrien considered this. “Thank you for everything you’ve done, Nathalie. I’ve only known you for a short time, but you’ve made my life easier.” He said. She seemed confused by this, but before she could reply, Adrien left her.

He went back to his room. He had just recently finished cleaning it after Gabriel had torn it apart the first time he’d gotten in trouble. He looked at it sadly.

This was the first time he’d had so much space to himself. At the Academy, he shared a space a fraction of this side with his mother, as he wasn’t welcome among the apprentices his age. This had proved problematic as he’d gotten older, as he was getting antsy sharing a bed with his mother while suffering physical injuries whenever he tried to spend time with the apprentices. Gabriel had only allowed him to leave the Academy because of two reasons; one, he had snuck onto a proving hunt with other apprentices and passed the test, and two, someone had tried to kill him. On three separate occasions.

But it looked like this was the end. Adrien gathered what little he had and put it into the box he’d taken with him from the Academy. He didn’t need to take any clothes, since they were provided by the Huntsclan. He took off his armor and put it in the box, as well as his kitschy dragon lamp and the computers. As he went to put the box on his bed, he realized that Marinette had bled onto his sheets. He pulled them off, leaving just the blankets behind.

He walked over to the window and grabbed his things. He ran his hands over the horned cat pelt that had shielded his identity. It was a prize he had claimed in the proving, something he’d once believed that proved he was just as good as the apprentices. That he was just as deserving of the Mark he’d been born with as they were.

Adrien held the pelt up the his nose so it covered his mouth. The proving had been held somewhere near Arcachon, in Aquitaine, so sometimes it smelled of the bay. He tried to hold it in, but he curled up his legs and started crying.

It was all too much. The battle, Marinette’s surgery, and now his punishment… Adrien felt like he was suffocating. Marinette had desperately wanted to help him, and he had to leave her, hurt and confused. And soon, he believed that he would disappear from her life entirely, without so much as a lifeline to figure out the reason. He covered his face with the pelt. As he cried, he thought of how he could blame no one but himself for his misery.

He saw something blue dash across the street. It returned a moment later, though it hung around this time. Adrien stood and pressed his face to the window as he searched for the source.

The French Dragon was looking in windows across the street, and occasionally she’d touch one, as if trying to open it. She was searching for someone, that he was certain, and he was even more certain that someone was him. She could probably smell him, since he hadn’t teleported back to the mansion. Adrien grabbed his box and his pelt, and he ducked under his bed, pulling the blankets down over the side. He rolled onto his stomach and watched her.

She flew from across the street to search his room. She looked even larger than normal, and her eyes seemed intense. She darted back and forth, probably trying to look behind the couch. She saw something and flew towards it, but she didn’t leave the window. He heard something creak, and Adrien realized he’d left his window open.

He crawled further under the bed. The French Dragon entered his room slowly. He could see her massive paws, each with sharp claws like talons, walk across his room. She looked behind the couch. She took up so much space! Adrien saw her scales, remembering the day his mother was taken from him, and his heart started pounding even faster inside his chest.

She pushed open the door to his bathroom. She didn’t even fit inside it, she was so large. Then she checked his closet. Adrien was trembling as he tried to make himself small, knowing she’d check under the bed next. And she did, but her face was too large to actually look under it. Nothing worked, not switching the angle, not even climbing over the bed to look at it from upside-down.

At first, he worried she would lift up the bed to look under it, but Gabriel must have nailed it down. It wouldn’t move. She was probably strong enough to rip it up, but she wasn’t the kind of brute who would do that. The floors would be damaged, and if it turned out that he wasn’t there—even though he was—it would have been for nothing. So instead, she reached underneath and flailed her talons. Adrien suppressed a yelp and crawled away. He saw the French Dragon bound to the other side. He scurried away so she wouldn’t scratch him.

The French Dragon shoved her snout underneath the bed, like a dog or a housecat might to let one know that they were there. She paused, and then huffed. A cloud of mist came out of her nostrils, soaking his face in water and snot. Then she flew away, out the window, and probably back to her nest.

Adrien crawled out from under the bed, taking with him the box and his pelt. He was breathing heavy, amazed that he’d survived. With the immediate threat to his life gone, Adrien actually fainted, falling back onto his bed, completely unconscious.

He regained consciousness a few seconds later, but was confused enough that he fell back asleep.

Gabriel returned around two in the morning. He found Adrien asleep, and not wanting to wake him, he sort of sighed and turned to leave. He noted that Adrien had packed up his room. He actually did believe that he was going back to the Academy.

Gabriel found the box and started unpacking it. He put the lamp back about where he found it, and he plugged the computers back in. Adrien was sleeping strange, with his legs flung over the side, so Gabriel picked them up and laid him down straight. He took off Adrien’s shoes and placed them at the end of the bed.

He was about to leave when he noticed Adrien was holding onto his pelt. This was actually the first time he’d seen it since he’d claimed it, as whenever Gabriel had visited him in the ‘apartment,’ Adrien had hidden it. He looked from the pelt to Adrien’s sleeping face. He leaned forward and moved Adrien’s arms so he could grab the pelt. Gabriel folded it carefully, and then walked out of the room with it.


	2. Good Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let’s not forget that nate was possessed. that was a pretty significant thing that happened

Nathaniel had been aware for about half an hour when he huffed and opened his eyes. A quick look around revealed a clock on the wall. It was either two-thirty, or half past the fourteenth hour, which seemed more unlikely. He sat up, and he flinched when his head started pounding. He looked around. He was in a small room with a window to his right. The closet was right across from his bed, and the door was next to it on the left. This… was not Nathaniel’s bedroom.

To the left of the bed was a woman looking at her phone. She had turned the brightness down, but it still lit up her face. She glanced at him, but then yelled and nearly dropped her phone. “Holy moly!” She said. She looked up at him. “You scared me!”

“Who are you? Where am I?” Nathaniel asked.

“Oh! I’m Marlena Césaire, Alya’s mom! You know my Alya? She’s in your class!” She said. Marlena motioned to her left. “Surely you recognize Monsieur Haprèle from school as well.” But Nathaniel didn’t see anyone there. Marlena noted his confused expression and looked. She smiled at him and walked to the closet. “He’s in here.”

“In… the… closet?” Nathaniel asked cautiously.

Marlena seemed confused by his caution. “Well, he didn’t want to scare you.” She frowned at the door. “I have to call Sabine. Come on out, you!”

“Marlena, don’t–” A voice said. She opened the closet door to reveal a horror with slimy skin three shades of purple, yellow head tentacles, and four glowing yellow eyes. Nathaniel screamed and scrambled away from it. The monster started glowing and growing with his screams. It grabbed the door and slammed it shut.

“You don’t recognize him?” She asked. Nathaniel closed his eyes and shook his head.

The door opened. In the monster’s place stood Fred Haprèle, the assistant educator at the school. This only made Nathaniel more confused. “I asked you not to distract me. I’m doing important work.” He said.

“My purse is in the closet, and I need to call Sabine.” Marlena said. She slid past him and dug around in the closet. “Besides, you know him better than I do.”

Fred conceded the point. He sat down where Marlena had been sitting and tried to relax. “It was a rough day yesterday, kiddo. How are you feeling?”

Nathaniel looked anxiously at the closet. “Is the  
monster gone?” He asked.

Fred grimaced. “Oi, I might have hit you a bit harder than I thought.” He pushed his brown hair back. His eyebrows… opened, revealing another set of brown eyes. Nathaniel screamed again. Fred let his third and fourth eyes close and his hair fall back into place. “Enough, Nathaniel. Stop screaming, I’m not going to hurt you, and I’m on a diet, anyway.”

Nathaniel was quiet. Then, his face twisted and he looked up. “What do you mean—”

Marlena poked her head out of the closet. “Shh! I’m on a very important phone call.” She scolded.

Fred huffed. “Do you remember anything that happened yesterday?” Nathaniel shook his head. “You were possessed by a spell book, and you kidnapped Marinette. You were stopped by me, Marlena, and a dragon. Does this sound familiar?”

Nathaniel considered this. “Yes, I… remember that, but I don’t know…” He admitted quietly. “W… what happened?”

Fred sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “Honestly, I’m not certain. The book that possessed you was an ancient and powerful magical artifact, but I don’t know why it chose you.” He thought carefully. “Maybe it figured that it could get the drop on Sabine…”

“W-what happened next?”

“You were freed, there was fallout from the attack, and I knocked you out so you wouldn’t panic.” Fred explained. “Marlena and I took you to my house. We called your parents and said that you stopped by here on your way to spend the night with Ivan.”

Nathaniel looked at his hands. He felt fine, spare the headache that split his skull, but… there, on his arms. Darkness coursed through his veins, turning his veins black and his skin purple. It didn’t reach his wrists or hands, but it was there. Sometimes, bright purple light echoed through his tainted skin, following his veins. It made it his fingers twitch. “What have I done?” He whispered.

“Well, it isn’t really your fault, is it? The Autumn King was using you, and for what it’s worth, you hung in well. You should make a full recovery.” Fred said. Nathaniel kept looking at his hands. It bothered him how they twitched. “I can’t advise you on the lingering effects though. I don’t know how long the discoloration will last, or how long your hands will twitch. Sabine can tell you more.”

“Sabine. That’s—” Nathaniel paused. “That’s Marinette’s mom’s name.”

“Yeah. The French Dragon fought and defeated the Autumn King, this time and last. You’re the only host who has ever survived, though.”

“What was Marinette’s mother doing there?”

“I told you, she defeated you.” Fred said as Marlena came out of the closet.

“No, you said that the French Dragon defeated me.” Nathaniel argued.

Marlena held her face in her hand. “Honey, they’re the same person! Haven’t you figured it out?” She said. She motioned to Fred. “This is the horror who protected Marinette from your magic fight. I’m the kitsune who dragged Chat Noir away from you.” She motioned up at the ceiling. “Sabine is the dragon who sealed the book away and freed you. We’re all magical creatures.”

Nathaniel couldn’t process that for a second. Then, it all made sense. He remembered the spell, the castle, the fight… it made his head hurt. “Why are you telling me all of this?” He asked. “This seems like an awfully big secret to trust me with!”

“Because the memory erasure potion won’t work on you.” A new voice said. Fred and Marlena turned. Sabine Cheng, whom Nathaniel had met on one or two occasions, stood in the doorway. She wore a stern expression on her normally kind face, and she walked closer. “You weren’t possessed long enough to die when the connection was severed, but your blood has been permanently altered.” She frowned deeply. “You’re a wizard, Nathaniel.”

He paused. “I’m a what?” He whispered.

Sabine grabbed his wrist and clamped something onto it. “Technically, at least.” She said as she let go. Nathaniel looked at his wrist. She’d clamped a heavy silver bracelet to him. It had markings carved into it. “I can’t trust anyone with the blood of the Autumn King. This will prevent you from casting spells, but you can still access the Netherworld.” Sabine crossed her arms. “But, I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

Nathaniel looked at her with an exasperated frown. “I remember you being… nicer.”

She glared at him. “And I remember you being quieter, but it looks like we’re all playing different roles tonight.” She huffed and rubbed her temple. “I’m sorry, Nathaniel. I shouldn’t snap at you. This wasn’t really your fault.” She folded her arms across her chest. “These past few hours have been a lot to deal with.”

“No luck finding Chat Noir, then?” Marlena asked sympathetically.

“No, I found him, but I couldn’t get near him. He’d taken Marinette to a Huntsclan camp.” She said. Fred and Marlena gasped, and taking it as a hint, Nathaniel gasped also. “Then, I flew back at top speed, and I thought I’d found him, but he still evaded me.” She sat down on the bed and huffed. “I haven’t even been home yet.”

Fred put a hand on her shoulder. “Maybe you should go home.” He advised. “Marinette will need her mother, and her dragon master, to cope with what she’s learned.”

“Wait, Marinette is a dragon, too?” Nathaniel asked.

“Please keep up, Nathaniel.” Fred advised sharply.

“I’m trying!” He said. “You people are not making it easy!”

Marlena ignored him. “Anyway! You should probably go home, anyway.” She offered Sabine the grimoire, trapped in amber. Nathaniel reached for it before shaking his head and putting his arm down. “Is the Dragon Council going to be angry that the Autumn King escaped?”

“No, they’ll understand that it was no fault of ours. I told them that it was temporary when I defeated him the first time.” Sabine said. She walked over to the window. “I’m going to make the rounds again. Will you watch him?”

“Of course.” Fred said. Sabine smiled at them and jumped out the window.

Nathaniel crawled over to the side of the bed, watching as light filled the room. He took a breath as he tried to process everything that had happened. He crossed his legs and looked to Marlena and Fred. “So… what happens now?”

“Things… things go back to normal.” Marlena said with a shrug.

“Tonight, you sleep. In the morning, you go to school. When your fellow students ask where you went yesterday, you tell them that you accompanied Marinette to the hospital when she fainted in front of you in the library.” Fred explained. “When they ask why she isn’t in school, you tell them that she had appendicitis, and she’s in the hospital recovering.” Fred sighed. “Then, you just pretend that none of this ever happened.”

Nathaniel frowned. But he yawned, and he was too tired to argue, so he fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

“If you don’t wake up now, you’ll be late for school.” Gabriel said sharply.

Adrien jumped. He rubbed his face and sat up. His body was sore, and he could feel the bandages on his arms coming loose. The light blinded him, but he could make out a shape. “F-Father?” He muttered.

Gabriel folded his arms across his chest. “You begged to be allowed to go to this school. What does it say about you that you’re running late?” He asked. He’d changed out of his armor into a dress shirt, a red tie, a grey sweater, and a black suit—the jacket and the slacks were tailored, so he looked even taller than he already was. “I mean it, now. Get up.”

Adrien forced himself to sit up. He looked around, noting that his room was put back together. Gabriel must have put his room back together, he thought with a brief smile. “Aren’t I going back to the Academy?” He asked, making sure to hide the grin. Gabriel might change his mind if he knew this pleased him.

“No. I decided it would be too suspicious for you to vanish completely after this.” He said. He narrowed his eyes. “Make no mistake, Adrien. This is your last chance with me.” He turned around. “If you step out of line just one more time, you’ll never see sunlight again.”

Gabriel left the room without another word. Adrien sighed. He guessed that it could have been worse. It was hard to see how, but at least he got to stay in Paris. He dreaded the idea of returning to the Academy. He was certain he’d die there, or wither. Whichever was worse.

Adrien dragged himself out of bed. He tightened the bandages on his arms, though he noted that he couldn’t go much longer before his fins would have to be trimmed. He dug around in his closet until he found a plain black tee shirt, denim jeans, and black boots. He laced them tight, and then found a heavy grey sweater. He grabbed his backpack, and while he knew he wouldn’t need it now, he searched for his horned cat pelt.

However, it was nowhere to be found. He looked under the bed, on the couch, in the bathroom under the sink—he knew that he’d had it with him when the French Dragon was in his room, so he knew that she hadn’t take it, but it was certainly gone now. After striping the bed o shake out the covers, Adrien grabbed his backpack and went downstairs.

He found Gabriel with Nathalie in the office. “Father, have you seen my pelt?”

“Your what?” Nathalie asked. She looked at Gabriel and whispered, “I thought you said he couldn’t grow one.”

He held up his hand to her. “When I put your things back in place, I found it. I took it, as to not tempt you from continuing your activities as Chat Noir.” He explained.

But of course that was bullshit, because Adrien had found his weapons and armor, things that would have been more of a deterrent if claimed. “It doesn’t belong to you! Give it back!” Adrien demanded.

Gabriel slammed his hand down on the table. Adrien flinched but held his ground. “What, do you think you’re grown? You’re a child! You don’t own things!” Gabriel shouted.

“I earned that pelt! I killed the horned cat and claimed it! I did that! Not you!” Adrien shouted. “It’s mine! Give it back!”

“That’s quite enough!” Gabriel snapped.

“It doesn’t belong to you!”

“Well, it’s in my possession now, and that makes it mine.” He said. Adrien clamped his arms down at his side. Gabriel walked closer to him and changed his body language to make Adrien feel smaller. “You are out of control. You have been for a while. If you won’t listen to reason, you will listen to whatever fairy blood courses through your veins.” He narrowed his eyes as Adrien huffed and looked away. “Go to school. Come back home. There will be no deviations in your schedule.”

Adrien folded his arms across his chest. “If is known Paris would be a prison,” he muttered, “I would have let the apprentices hang me like they wanted to.”

Nathalie moved to face Adrien. Gabriel held up his hand. “That’s enough, Adrien. That was entirely inappropriate.” He scolded. Adrien’s expression didn’t change. “If this city is a prison, it’s one of your own design, built from your own choices.”

Adrien frowned deeply. He walked away from his father, and then into the garage to wait in the car. Nathalie slid into the driver’s seat. As she drove him to school, she would occasionally glance up at him. “Adrien—”

“I feel like I’ve made it very clear that I don’t want to talk about it!” He snapped. Nathalie tightened her grip on the steering wheel. He sighed. “I’m sorry, Nathalie. This isn’t your fault and I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“Your father is doing what he thinks is best for you.” She justified.

“My father doesn’t know me, so how could he know what’s best?” He countered. Nathalie said nothing, and she pulled up to the school. Adrien got out of the car and walked inside.

The school showed no signs of an attack, with the exception of a few autumn leaves that might have been blow in by the wind. Whoever the French Dragon had working for her, they were good at their jobs. Adrien went into the locker room and started putting his things away.

“Adrien.” He looked up and to the side. Juleka stood beside him. She wore a shirt with grey and black stripes, black shorts, tall white socks with black ‘x’ marks, and black boots. She had ribbons wrapped around her left wrist, and on her right was a mirror attached to a glove. “So, I don’t remember anything that happened after our class went to the library, but I do know that what I was told sounds shady and I know you can erase memories.” She folded her arms across her chest. “So what’s the truth?”

He sighed. “Okay, I’m sorry your memories got erased, but I didn’t have… much to do with it.” He explained quietly about Nathaniel, Marinette, and the Autumn King. “The Huntsclan wasn’t in Paris at the time, so the dragons must have sent someone to wipe everyone’s memories.”

“I just saw Nathaniel. They must not have wiped his memory, because he looks wicked freaked.” Juleka said. She looked over her shoulder and then back to Adrien. “But you look upset.”

Adrien sighed. “While trying to rescue Marinette, I didn’t realize Nathaniel had… stitched their shadows together. I went to strike him, and…” Adrien looked away. “My spear went through him, and sliced her instead. She almost died.”

Juleka was physically knocked off balance by this. She took a step closer to him. “Jesus, Adrien!” She cursed. “Is she okay?”

“Probably not. I took her to the Huntsclan. They saved her life, but my father… I’m in a lot of trouble for what I’ve done.” He sighed. “I’m basically under house arrest, I’m not allowed to be Chat Noir anymore, he stole my pelt—” here, Adrien squeezed the locker door, and Juleka frowned. “…and he made me break up with her.”

Juleka’s jaw dropped. “I’m so sorry.” She said quietly.

“It’s my own fault!” Adrien snapped. “I can’t believe I thought I could get away with it!” He grabbed his supplies with a sour expression. “I’m just lucky he didn’t decide to send me back to the Academy.” He slammed his locker door shut.

“You’re right about that!” A new voice said. Adrien and Juleka jumped. A girl with dark brown hair and hazel eyes stood behind where his locker door had been. She wore a heavy orange jacket with geometric patterns, a white shirt, and pale orange overall shorts.

“Lila!” Adrien exclaimed.

“Lila? You mean the same Lila who wanted to kill you?” Juleka asked as she hid behind him, despite the fact she was taller than him.

Lila waved her hand. “Oh, please, he exaggerates.” She said flippantly.

“What about that time you tried to hang me?” He asked.

“You can’t prove that was me. Everyone was wearing masks.” Lila said. “Anyway, I have news!” She leaned forward. “As of today, I will be in your class!”

“What?! No!” Adrien argued. “Father told me that I wouldn’t be monitored!”

Lila sort of hummed and pressed her palms together daintily. “Hmm, was that before or after you murdered five people and slashed open your girlfriend’s stomach?” She asked sarcastically. Adrien huffed and folded his arms across his chest. Lila stood up straight and frowned. “Listen, if it were up to me, I’d kill you now, but you are Hawkmoth’s son, and the old man doesn’t want that if he can avoid it.” She walked close to him. “But make no mistake. I am not here to spy. I am here to watch you—”

“I don’t need a babysitter!” Adrien interrupted.

“I’m not your damn babysitter, either!” Lila grabbed his nose. “Listen to me, Adrien Agreste. Take one false move, take one wrong step, give me one reason to think you might step out of line, I will spill your fairy blood across the linoleum.” She pulled his nose down so he had to look up into her eyes. “Have I made myself perfectly clear?”

Adrien hesitated. “Yes.”

Lila let go of his nose and smiled. “Good!” She said cheerfully. “Now, show me where your classes are!”

Juleka and Adrien watched her as she walked away. “She’s crazy!” Juleka hissed.

“She’s part of the Huntsclan. What did you expect?” Adrien asked as he caught up to Lila.

Juleka sighed. They walked together up to class, but as the started up the stairs, they saw a woman walking out of Monsieur Damocles’s office. She wore a midnight blue cheongsam, black pants, and black shoes. There was a scarf wrapped around her head that looked like a galaxy, and she wore large sunglasses. Monsieur Damocles took her hand, they exchanged some words, and then she started to walk away. “That’s Madame Cheng, Marinette’s mother.”

“How can you tell?” Lila asked. “You can’t even see her face. Not really.”

“Well, Madame Cheng is always dressed like that. Marinette said she has sensitive skin and eyes, and she can’t go out in the sun much.” Juleka explained.

“Oh, no! She’s dressed in black! Do you think she’s in mourning? You don’t think I killed her, do you?” Adrien panicked. He shook Juleka’s arm. “G-go over there and ask her why she’s here!”

“Why can’t you do it?” Juleka asked, annoyed.

“Um, number one, Marinette had a video of me and I don’t want to take the risk of her recognizing my voice.” He reasoned. “Two, I’m still technically the new kid, and you’ve known Marinette for years. I shouldn’t care about her! If I ask, it’ll be suspicious!”

“Ugh, fine!” She complained loudly. Juleka ran over to Madame Cheng as she was leaving the building. “Madame Cheng, a moment, please?” She called out.

Sabine turned. “Oh, good morning, Juleka.” She said, the only part of her face not obscured being her faint smile.

“Hi. Is everything okay?” She asked. “I haven’t seen Marinette.”

“Oh, everything is fine now, my dear.” Sabine said. “Marinette hadn’t been feeling well for a while, but we thought it was just cramps. It turns out that it was appendicitis.” She looked away. “She’s in the hospital right now, but she’ll be fine and back to school in no time.”

Juleka smiled. “I’m so glad to hear that she’s alright. Thank you.”

“I’ll tell her that you were worried.” Sabine took her hand and squeezed it. She walked away, her head turning to look at the faces of those she passed.

Juleka walked back to Adrien and Lila. They both awaited her report. “They’re saying it's appendicitis, but she’s alive.”

“Makes sense. It would explain a lot.” Adrien reasoned. “The stitches, and the gash…”

“They didn’t cut me open when I had appendicitis. They made a little incision. It wasn’t but a few centimeters long.” Lila countered.

Adrien looked at her. “How big is the appendix that you can pull it out through a little hole?” He asked.

Juleka shrugged. “Maybe that’s just if it doesn’t burst?” She theorized. None of them were doctors, so they left it at that and went to class, ignoring the fact that the conversation was irrelevant, given that Marinette did not actually have appendicitis.

 

* * *

 

Sabine found Marinette lying on the couch, watching magical television. She flipped through the channels, and Sabine watched as Magical News Network-France, Chambermark, and the Disney Channel flipped by. “How are you feeling, young dragon?” Sabine asked as she started preparing breakfast.

Marinette frowned. Tikki frowned, too, and she crawled further up her chest. “I’m so frustrated. And I’m hurting, both physically and mentally…” Marinette conjured a lightning bolt and had it follow her finger. She was still absently flipping through the channels. “And I hate! Feeling so freaking helpless!”

Sabine nodded. “I understand completely.” She said.

“You know, when you told me that I was a dragon, I was so worried.” She said. Marinette forced herself to sit up, and she was annoyed that it winded her. “But when you told me I was to be your apprentice, I was so excited. I thought that this was my chance to finally do some good for the magical world.”

Tikki smiled. “You are doing good. You give magical creatures hope.” She moved her paw towards the remote.

“But now I’m practically bedridden, taken down by someone I thought I could trust!” Marinette said. “How much longer before we can get back to dragon training?”

“A couple of days. You should stay home tomorrow, and then we’ll start again.” Sabine said. She handed Marinette a bowl with various breakfast foods. Marinette took it and stirred it around with the spoon. “Why so anxious?”

“Because I want to figure out where Chat Noir has gone, and I want to pound his butt into the pavement!”

“Last night, you wanted nothing more than for him to hold you in his arms.” Tikki asked as she inches closer to the remote.

“That was last night.” Marinette said sharply. “Now it's this morning and he needs to die!”

Sabine giggled. “You’ll probably bounce between those emotions a lot!” She said. She stroked Marinette’s hair. “You’ll hate him, and you’ll love him, and you’ll understand, and you’ll be confused. Then one day,” she looked off into the distance. “One day, you’ll wake up and find that you haven’t thought of him at all. And that’s when you’ll have moved on.”

Marinette nodded. She felt like she’d never move on. Her heart screamed it, but she figured that one day, she’d have to. She would move on. Tikki touched the remote and tried to take it away. “Tikki!” She scolded. “I’m the one with the injury! I get to pick the channel!”

“I want to watch the apothecary channel!” She yelled.

“What’s the apothecary channel?” She asked, also technically telling, but there was no anger in either of their voices.

“It’s like the cooking channel, but there are more explosions.” Sabine said calmly, a smile across her face.

Marinette’s eyes lit up. “Oh my god, we have to watch the apothecary channel!” She three the remote at Tikki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I’m going to warn you guys now that I’m going to retcon stuff from the first part since new information has been brought to life. It won’t change the story much I just don’t want you to be surprised


	3. Rips

Sabine and Tom had kept Marinette home from school for a few days. Between her injuries and the break-up, she wasn’t in any condition to be around humans. When she was finally ready to go back to school, her body resisted the movements.

Her regular school clothes were bloody, so she dug around in her closet. She put on a white tee shirt with pastel lightning bolts over a soft grey undershirt with long sleeves. She wore black skinny jeans and tucked them into her combat boots, lacing up the red ribbons.

Marinette had to limp due to lingering pain. Her arm rested across her stomach, as if protecting it. She had a hard time moving her arms, so Tikki had to do her hair.

“I think I should come with you to school, at least until you’re feeling better.” Tikki suggested, replacing the typical red ribbons she used to tie her hair with soft beads with glyphs carved into them.

“They don’t allow rabbits at school, Tikki.” Marinette said with a grin.

“I know that! But I fit in your backpack.” She said. “If you keep your books in your horde chest, I can use magic to teleport them to and from the bakery, so you don’t have to worry about it!”

“That does seem appealing, and you are better company than my physics textbook.” She considered. “But what about Alya? Aren’t you still afraid she’s going to eat you?”

Tikki grinned. “That’s the best part! She will be bound by societal convention!” She crossed her paws and laughed. “She cannot eat me, lest she experience the scorn of her peers!” She threw her paws up. “It’s brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!”

Marinette laughed. “Okay, okay. You can come with me to school.” She said, pushing down her paws. Marinette emptied the contents of her backpack into the horde chest and let Tikki jump inside. She walked downstairs carefully as to not aggravate her stomach.

Sabine looked at her sadly. “Oh, it worries me that you’re heading back so soon. That’s a battle wound.” She said.

“Yes, but all my classmates think I had appendicitis.” She argued. “If I wait too long to go back, they might get suspicious.” She tried to straighten her back as best she could. “Well, is there anything I should know?”

Sabine considered this. “Yes. Nathaniel is the one who supposedly took you to the hospital. You should probably ‘thank’ him.” She said. “Make sure he’s still wearing the restraint. If he takes it off, the grimoire will call to him.”

“But it’s trapped in amber!” She argued.

“What difference does that make? The magic is still alive. You can’t kill magic, not really.” Try as the Huntsclan may. “But, you don’t have to worry about watching him. Fred is taking care of that.” She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a tub of mandrake salve. “Your father wanted me to give this to you, in case you start having pains at school. Come back here for lunch so we can change your bandages.”

“Yes, Mama.” Marinette kissed her cheek and started walking away.

Sabine watched her. “Oh, and one more thing!” She said before she walked out the door. “Don’t let Tikki distract you.”

Marinette sighed. “I won’t.” She walked out of the room. Tom gave her a bag of cookies for Tikki to munch on while she was in the backpack, and then she went to school.

Alya, Nino, and Mylène waited outside for her. They were ecstatic when they saw her, though they made sure to be gentle. Alya kept holding her after the others had let go. “We’re so glad to see you!” Mylène said. She wore a heavy floral sweater, a turtleneck with a unicorn graphic, and a denim skirt. Her brown boots with laced tightly to her legs, which were protected from the cold air by brown stockings. Her third eye was still hidden by a red bandana.

Alya also wore a sweater, but it was plain pink. Her jeans were tucked into furry boots, and a warm scarf was wrapped around her neck. “We were so lonely!”

“You had each other,” Marinette pointed out.

“But without a dragon, magical creatures fight!” Alya whined sarcastically. “We were so obnoxious to each other!” Marinette giggled.

They went inside the school. Nino took off his coat and shoved it into his locker. Under it, he wore a thin red sweatshirt, a long sleeved white tee shirt, and jeans. His sneakers might have been new from how bright the yellow was. “You missed a lot. Mademoiselle Bustier is giving you a pass on the work you missed in French since you had a medical emergency. She’s convinced Madame Mendeleiev to ease up, too.”

“Oh, she’s the best!” She said with a smile. She started to put in the combination for her locker.

“There’s one more thing you should know.” Nino said. “There’s a new girl in our class. Lila Rossi.”

“Oh?” Marinette said as she opened her locker.

“And the thing about Lila is… well…” His voice trailed off.

Marinette stopped looking at them. She put her coat in her locker, and then noticed something on the top shelf. “So, we don’t really know her all that well, but…” Mylène struggled to find words. Marinette frowned as she pulled the item from the shelf. It was a black cat toy, and when she moved it, the marble in its head made it sound like it was purring. “Lila is kind of a… um, kind of a—”

“Oh, I didn’t know that toys were allowed at school!” A new voice said. They all turned to look at Lila.

“Bitch,” Alya completed Mylène’s thought under her breath.

She walked over to Marinette and closed her locker. “People think so highly of you, but you act so childish!” She looked at the toy and then up at Marinette. Her hazel eyes seemed familiar, but Marinette couldn’t quite place where they had met before. Even if she could, Lila seemed… sharper, perhaps was the word, than most people she interacted with. “I wonder what they’d think if they knew you still played with dolls?”

Marinette sighed. For a moment, she couldn’t even process what Lila had said, only that she realized Chat Noir had decided to break up with her after putting what would have otherwise been a very thoughtful gift in her locker. After deciding to deal with that at a time where a new kid wasn’t directly in her face and taunting her, Marinette squeezed the bridge of her nose and looked up. “I’ve only just met you, and already I’m wondering how you haven’t floated off into space with how much helium is in your head.”

Nino choked here, and he covered his mouth to keep from laughing. Mylène was in shock, and Alya looked like she’d just witnessed a murder. Lila just frowned and rolled her eyes.

Marinette looked at the toy in disdain. “And as for this, I don’t even want it near me.” She tossed it to Alya and walked away. “Give this to Ella and Etta. They’ll love it.” She said. She looked back at Lila. “Try it with someone else, new girl. I’m not interested in a rival.” She stormed off.

Lila folded her arms across her chest. “Interesting.” She said, and she walked away.

Alya, Mylène and Nino were left alone. “Tom told me that Chat broke up with Marinette, but she’s not usually the sort to let that kind of thing keep her down.”

“A rejection is one thing. A break up is another completely.” Mylène reasoned. “Are you going to give that to the twins?”

“I would, but they’re still playing rough. If they tear this open, they might choke on the marble.” Alya frowned.

Mylène took the toy. “It’s time we faced the facts. Chat Noir is a member of the Huntsclan. He has access to their technology, and no problem hurting people to get what he wants.” She looked at the toy with a fierce expression that Nino and Alya didn’t typically associate with her. “The best thing we can do for Marinette is to make sure she doesn’t see this.” Mylène ripped open the toy and pulled the stuffing out.

As she passed the trash can, she threw it out. “She must still be bitter about Chat wiping Ivan’s memory.” Alya concluded.

Nino wrapped his arm around Alya. “I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but… I’m here for you.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you, Nino.” She leaned her head into him, her curly auburn hair sticking to his face. She looked off into the distance, worried about Marinette.

Caline was running late, so students waited outside the classroom. Many crowded Marinette, asking about her injuries. Alya saw Nathaniel sort of hanging around in the corner. She kept her eye on him until he gathered his nerve and approached her. Alya walked faster so she could put herself between Nathaniel and Marinette, but it was almost unnoticeable.

Nathaniel hesitated. “I am glad to see that you are out of the hospital!” He said, a little too loudly. His words were exaggerated. He wasn’t used to lying, it seemed. “How are you feeling?”

“Very well, thank you.” Marinette lied. She could tell he was upset, so she pointed at the library. “I’m having trouble remembering what happened though, so why don’t you walk me through it?” He still seemed confused. Marinette, Alya, and Mylène walked towards the library as Nino led Nathaniel after them. Nino cast a spell on the door to keep it closed.

Nathaniel flinched. He turned and looked at him. “I… felt you cast that.” Nino frowned, but said nothing. “I have to admit, this is all a bit overwhelming.”

“I know how you feel.” Nino said.

“It must be, but you do understand that you can’t tell anyone what really happened.” Marinette said.

Nathaniel sighed. “Yes, your secrets are safe with me. It’s not like I have anyone to tell.” He said. He looked away. “And anyway, I really just wanted to apologize to you.” He looked back with sad eyes. “It was never my intention to hurt you.”

“Nate, you weren’t the one who hurt me…” She said quietly. Mylène looked up at her and rubbed her shoulder.

“Um, also, does your mom know when this will go away?” Nathaniel rolled up his sleeves to show them the discoloration of his veins.

Marinette took his arm and looked at the discoloration closely. “Honestly? Probably never.” She said. She rolled his sleeve back down. “That’s why you have to wear the bracelet. If worse comes to worst, and the King escapes again, he’ll come right back to you.”

The idea of being possessed again unnerved him. Tikki poked her head out from the backpack. “The spell is holding strong. It shouldn’t break anytime soon.”

Nathaniel jumped back. He thought about questioning the talking rabbit, but he closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then dismissed it. This was not really the most surprising thing that had happened over the past few days.

Mylène looked at Tikki. “I’m not worried about Nathaniel. I’m worried about Chat Noir. He has a lot of information that could get us hurt.” She said.

Marinette frowned. Nino took Mylène’s shoulders. “Listen, Milly. If this fat cat has half a brain, he’ll stay away from Marinette.” He said. “Besides, it’s not like he knows she’s a dragon.”

Marinette looked at her feet. “I almost told him.” She admitted. Mylène and Alya held her shoulders. “I wanted to tell him that I was a dragon, and I could help him.” She covered her mouth to hide a sob. She shook her head and stood up straight. “But it doesn’t matter anyway. He told me he would be gone for a while. And if he comes back with them, I’ll fight him.”

“Are you sure, Marinette?” Nino asked.

“Yes. It’s my duty.” She said firmly.

Before the conversation could continue, Alya tried to reach into the backpack. Tikki immediately jumped out onto a nearby table. “No! You’re not eating me!” She shouted.

“Come back here!” Alya shouted as she dove for the table.

Tikki jumped to another one. She pointed at the others. “You can’t eat me here! You’re bound by societal convention!” She declared.

Marinette picked her up. Tikki stuck her tongue out at Alya, who pouted. After hugging her magical guardian, Marinette smiled at Nathaniel. “But there’s one more thing to take care of.” She held up a finger. “You’re a wizard now. That makes you a magical creature, bringing the grand total up to five.” She looked at her friends. “All in favor of naming Nathaniel an honorary Monster Girl?”

Alya, Mylène and Marinette raised their hands. Nino raised his, though tentatively. “Is that really our name?” He asked quietly.

Marinette ignored him. She smiled at Nathaniel. “Welcome to the club!”

Nathaniel smiled. “Really?” He asked.

Mylène shrugged. “Well, my dad will probably keep an eye on you anyway, so you might as well join in the shenanigans!” She said cheerfully.

Nathaniel hugged them each in turn. “Thank you! I promise, I won’t let you down!” He said.

“All you have to do is stay on the lookout for people with dragon-shaped birthmarks. If you see one, let me know immediately.” Marinette said. Alya tried to grab Tikki, so she held the rabbit up like Rafiki did to Simba in ‘the Lion King.’ “Also, if someone could get rena rouge here some rabbit so she stops trying to eat my magical guardian, that would be ideal.”

“Marinette!” Tikki scolded. “Those could have been my poker buddies!”

“It’s better than her eating—wait, you have poker buddies?!” Marinette asked.

“Do I look like the kind of rabbit who plays go fish or checkers?” Tikki asked.

“In all honesty, yes.” Nino said flatly.

Nathaniel laughed loudly. The others looked at him, and he pulled a chair out to sit down. “You know, this is overwhelming…” he said as he wiped happy tears from his eyes, “but I think this adventure might be a fun one!”

Alya stood up straight, so Marinette lowered Tikki. Alya smiled at her. “So I guess it’s back to normal, then!” Alya said, leaning against her. “What’s first on the agenda?”

“Dragon training. I’m out of practice.” She motioned for Nino to dispel the lock on the door. “Besides, the Hollow Brotherhood is getting stronger as they feed on the black magic left over from the Autumn King.”

They left the library and walked to the classroom. Caline had opened the door, so they went inside and took their seats. Marinette spoke to her classmates idly. She realized that she’d put her phone in her locker, so she left the room to go and get it. After retrieving it, she started back up the stairs.

“I heard you had appendicitis.” A familiar voice said. Marinette stopped dead in her tracks, paralyzed as a wave of energy shot through her bloodstream, boiling hot and freezing cold simultaneously. She turned, expecting to see a warrior in black and fur.

Instead, it was Adrien. Marinette sighed. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else, so I didn’t hear what you had to say.” Adrien avoided eye contact. “What did you say?” She clarified.

“Nothing. I just… hope you’re feeling better.” He said.

“Sore. Frustrated. But I’ll survive.” She said. “I always do.” She went back to class.

At lunch, Marinette split up from the others. Tikki pokes her head out through the backpack to watch her. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I wish people would stop asking me that. I’m not some porcelain doll.” She muttered. Tikki frowned. “That wasn’t nice of me. I’m sorry.” She looked out into the distance. “I thought I heard Chat Noir earlier… but it wasn’t him.”

Tikki rubbed her face against her cheek. She went upstairs where Sabine changed her bandages. Tikki helped her rub the medicine on. Marinette complained about the temperature of the mandrake childishly. “Marinette, this will never heal if you don’t let it.” Sabine scolded.

“Any luck on chasing down Chat?” She asked.

Sabine frowned. “No. He hops around, so he’s hard to track.” There was a knock at the door. She looked over her shoulder and then to Tikki. “I have to tighten these bindings. Will you get the door?”

Tikki nodded. She hopped down from the couch and walked over to the door. She had to jump to reach the knob, but once she grabbed it, she opened it easily. On the other side of the door was a kitsune standing on his hind legs. His fur was black as night, except for his snowy underbelly and the very tips of his nine tails.

He blinked when he saw Tikki. “Oh, excu—”

Tikki slammed the door in his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter mostly just showing that Nate isn’t going to be forgotten after playing a large roll. Sorry it took so long I got promoted so I’ve been too tired to write. As such, let me know if they’re are any glaring inconsistencies or mistakes


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